Make Those IT Bands Happy!

The IT band, or also known as the Illiotibial band, can be really cranky for us athletes. It can even lead us to the sidelines in some cases. Yoga is a great injury prevention tool and here’s a sequence specifically targeted to open the IT bands and the outer hips.

Pictures of some of the poses are shown below.

Opening:
– Lay on back with soles of the feet together and knees apart (blocks under knees to support hips)
– Figure 4* on back (option to add core work in with reaching block over head, picture below)
– after each side take a supine twist

Integration:
– Rock or push up to a rag doll position
– Tadasana (mountain pose)
– Standing side bend to each side
– cross ankles and walk hands to each side of the mat* (picture below)
– Switch ankles

Main Body:

Wave 1
– Downward Dog
– Fallen tree pose* (picture below)
– Low lunge
– side bend in low lunge
– core twist in low lunge

– low lunge
– 1/2 split, walk hands to side of mat* (picture below)
– runners lunge, then add open twist, back to runners lunge
– supported warrior 3 with blocks
– Step to Tadasana (mountain pose)
– Plank, lower, baby cobra, downward dog
– repeat other side

Wave 2
-Downward Dog
–Fallen tree pose* (picture below)
-runners lunge pulses x 3, open to twist
-warrior 2
-reverse warrior/side angle (modified)
-runners lunge
-crescent lunge
-warrior 3 (modification with blocks)
–standing figure 4* (picture below)
-cross top leg over bottom to cross ankles and fold*
-tadasana
-plank, lower, arms extended by sides (salabasana), downward dog
-repeat other side

Cooling Down:
–1/2 pigeon pose* (picture below)
-supported bridge pose
–supine twist (leg extended, picture below)*
-savasana

Figure 4 (on back)